These are good, if not slightly frustrating, cookies. What’s particularly good about them is they’re not overly sweet, though you’d think they would be because of the dates.
The key to avoiding frustration is to freeze the rolled dough before slicing it. Problem solved!
This recipe is from The Perfect Cookie, published by America’s Test Kitchen. It’s actually a good cookbook with many outstanding cookie and bar recipes. Note that vegan butter and fake eggs make these vegan.
What you’ll need for the filling
- 1.75 cups walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
- 9 oz pitted dates, finely chopped (medjool dates work really well for this recipe)
- 1 cup water
- 100g (3.5 oz) granulated sugar
What you’ll need for the cookie dough
- 500g (17.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1t baking soda
- 0.5t salt
- 12T unsalted butter, softened (vegan butter and fake eggs make these vegan.
- 200g (7 oz.) brown sugar
- 200g (7 oz) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1t vanilla extract
What to do for the filling
Add the walnuts, dates, water and sugar to a small saucepan. Stir the ingredients while bringing them to a boil over medium heat and cook until the mixture has thickened—3 – 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool for at least an hour, until completely cool.
What to do for the dough
Whisk together in a bowl the flour, baking soda and salt. With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium-high speed until it’s fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to very low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until it is just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Transfer the dough to clean surface and divide it in half. Form each half into a 6-inch square. Wrap each square tightly with plastic or parchment paper and refrigerate for an hour—or up to 2 days.
What to do for the initial assembly
Let the squares of dough come up to about 50 degrees and roll them out into 9’ x 13” rectangles on a large piece of floured parchment paper. Spread half of the date and walnut mixture over the surface of the dough. With the long edge of the dough facing you, carefully roll up the dough, but not with the parchment paper—just the dough. Wrap the log tightly with plastic wrap or parchment paper and put it in the freezer. Repeat the process for the other portion of dough.
What to do to bake the cookies
Set the racks in your oven to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and begin heating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Remove a log of dough from the freezer and let it warm for a few minutes before slicing it with a very sharp knife into 0.5-inch rounds. Space the rounds 2 inches apart on the sheet pans and bake until the tops are golden-brown—18 – 22 minutes.
When they’re done baking, slide the cookies onto a wire rack. Repeat with the other log of dough or keep it in the freezer for later.
Let the cookies completely cool before serving.
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